Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has stated that many governors who have misappropriated public funds will face prosecution while still in office, thanks to active and timely audits by the Auditor General.
Senator Kathuri said that once the Auditor General’s reports are submitted to Parliament and the Senate in the coming two months, governors will have no choice but to appear before the respective Houses to respond to audit queries related to their current financial years.
“They will now have to answer audit queries while still in the office. With active audits, we will see many governors being prosecuted. Previously, governors would leave office, and years later, the Senate would receive audit reports about their tenure, long after they were gone. Now, audits will be done within the active financial year, and that is a game changer. There will be no room to hide after misappropriating county public funds,” he said.
Senator Kathuri was referring to a recent court ruling which limits the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Public Investments Committee (PIC) to examining only audit reports within the current or active financial year.
He noted that this shift will significantly enhance accountability in counties, as it ensures that financial scrutiny happens in real-time, increasing the chances of taking corrective or legal action while the implicated officials are still in office.
Kathuri also highlighted that the Parliament was previously dealing with the 2020/2021 financial year audit reports, even though several years had passed.
This lag in auditing allowed some corrupt practices to go unpunished for too long.
“One of the biggest challenges was that the Auditor General would take years to present reports. This has now changed,” he added.
Senator Kathuri believes that corruption in counties can be effectively tackled by thoroughly scrutinizing financial records and ensuring that audit reports are submitted and acted upon promptly.
